The Arab World’s imports from Brazil have reached over $6.6 billion between January to August, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce said in a report.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE emerged as the top importers in the region, Arabian Business news website published information from the report on Sunday.

In Saudi Arabia, the imports reached over $1.5 billion during the period, while the UAE’s imports were valued at over $930 million, it added.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian market’s food imports from Brazil increased by 28 percent recording the largest jump to reach $1.2 billion in comparison to the same period last year.

While cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose are Brazil’s top export products to Arab countries with a combined value of nearly $2.5 billion, meat accounted for the biggest increase in Brazilian exports valued at over $554 million, up by nearly 45 percent from the same period in 2011.

“With Brazilian food companies strongly adhering to halal standards and other quality regulations being adopted in key markets across the region, we expect export volumes to continue to rise and serve as a rallying point for long-term trade and economic cooperation,” Director-General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, said.

“We will therefore continue to explore more innovative ways to cultivate a stronger alliance among Brazilian exporters and their counterparts in the MENA region,” he added.